Mud gun



p l 1932- A. F. GIESE, JR 1,852,559

MUD GUN Filed March 13, 1930 azyusz? Ga'ese (fir Patented Apr. 5, 1932AUGUST IF. GIESE, JR., OF GARY, INDIANA MUD GUN A lication filed March13, 1930. Serial No. 435,435.

My invention relates to clay guns which are particularly applicable anduseful for plugging up the tapping holes of blast furnaces to shut offthe flow of molten metal therefrom.

An important object of my invention is to provide electrically drivenmeans for actuating the clay ejecting plunger of the gun.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rack driven by anelectric motor for shifting the plunger in the gun barrel.

Still another object is to provide electric motor driven means foractuating the plunger, together with means for controlling the motclrcircuit at the gun or from a remote pom Another object is to providemeans for automatically controlling the motor circuit to stop the motorwhen the plunger reaches the ends of its strokes.

Still another object is to provide brake mechanism, automaticallycontrolled by the current flow for the motor to brake the motor as soonas the supply current flow is with drawn therefrom.

A still further object is to provide electrically driven actuating meanswhich can be applied to single cylinder guns or to multiple cylinderguns, together with means for independently controlling the operation ofthe plungers of the cylinders.

The various features of my invention are incorporated in the structureenclosed on the drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Figure 2 is an end elevation; Figure 3is a section on plane IIIIII of Figure 1; and v Figure 4diagrammatically shows a circuit arrangement for controlling theoperation of the motor.

The gun shown comprises a 'main barrel or cylinder section 10 secured atone end to the head 11 and at its other end havin secured thereto theoutlet nozzle'12. Rec1procal within the parts 10 and 11 is a plunger orpiston 13 which is secured to the inner end of a rack bar 14 whichextends through an opening 15 in the end wall 16 of the head 11.

'I he head 11 supports a platform 17'on w WlllCh is mounted the drivingapparatus for the rack bar. Mounted on this platform are j ournalledboxes 18 which journal guide rollers 19 whose guide flanges 20 engage inthe guide channel 21 formed in the under side of the rack bar.

At the outer end of the platform is mounted a supporting base or frame22- through which the rack bar extends and which supports an electricmotor 23. Between the motor and the head 11, the platform supports thebearing brackets 24 and 24 which journal a shaft 25 carrying at one enda gear'26 which meshes with the pinion 27 on the armature shaft of themotor. Be-

motor carries a brake pulley or drum 30 with which brake structure isassociated for automatically braking the motor when the su ply currentflow is withdrawn'therefromh uch brake structure may be electricallycontrolled and of the type shown, which is well-known in the art.Briefly, it comprises the field frame 31 pivoted atits lower end asindicated at 32 to a base-33, this field frame carrying an energizingwinding 34. The armature 35 is supported on a lever 36 which is hingedconcentric with the pivot axis 32, and this lever carries the brake shoe37. A spring 38 tends to separate the armature and the field frame andswin the lever to apply the I brake shoe to the bra e drum.

An opposed brake shoe 39 is secured to a lever 40 pivoted at its lowerend on the base 33 and having its upper end connected by a rod 41 withthe upper end of the field frame. The field winding 34 is connectedtolreceive current when the motor is connected in circuit for operation,and the armature is then attracted a ainst the force of the sprin 38, sothat the rake shoes will be released rom the brake drum. Upon cessationof current flow through the Winding the armature will be released andthe spring willtend to separate the armature and field frame, and themovement of the field frame is communicated to the rod 41 through thelever 40, the result bein that the brake shoes will then be applie tothe brake drum to brake the motor.

I also preferably provide a limit switch structure 42 for controllingthe motor circuit to stop the motor when-it reaches the inner end of itsstroke in the head 11 and also when it reaches the outer end of itsstroke in the barrel section 10. Such limit switch of itself forms nopart of my invention. It may be of a well-known construction, as forexample, the Cutler-Hammer type, comprising circuit controlling switchmechanism operated from a screw shaft 43 which, in this case, terminatesin a pinion 44 which meshes with a ar 45 on the end of the shaft 25which is drlven by the motor. The connection is such that the limitswitch will be driven when the motor is operated and will control themotor circuit to stop the motor automatically when the plunger reachesthe set limits of its travel in the gun barrel.

' The gun may be'supported in various ways to be moved into operativeosition relative to the furnace tapping out et. It may be provided witha hanger 46 by means of which it may be suspended from a. crane. Thehead part 11 is rovided with a hop er 47 through which a c arge of claymay be loaded into the gun barrel.

Normally, the piston or plunger is at the inner end of its traveladjacent to the end wall 16 of the head and behind the feed hopper 47. Acharge of clay is then fed into the barrel in advance of the plungerand, after the gun has been properly positioned in front of the tappinghole to be plugged, the motor is started and the charge of clay isejected therefrom through the nozzle 12 and into the tap hole.

Just before the plunger reaches the nozzle section of the barrel, thelimit switch will become effective to shut 011' the current from themotor and the brakes then become efiec-- tive to immediately stop themotor.

In Figure 4, I have shown more or less conventionally a circuit diagramfor controlling the general operation of themotor. Current is su pliedfrom a suitable supply source (not 5 own) through the mains 48 and 49. Ihave shown a series motor and leuauue some suitable means for reversingthe direction of rotation of the motor, as for exam ple, an ordinaryreversing knife switch 50. The mains 48 and 49 connect with the innercontacts of the switch, the main 48 serially including the motor fieldwinding 51 and the energizing winding 34 of the electric brake. Theinner contacts of the switch are connected with the armature of themotor, so that, as the switch is set from one position to the other inthe well-known manner the current flow through the armature will bereversed to thus reverse the directionof rotation of the motor.

For starting the motor and controlling the speed thereof a suitablerheostat 52 is included in the supply circuit and located referably onthe motor supporting plat orm. For controlling the motor from adistance, a similar rheostat structure 53 may. be provided. The limitswitch structure 42 will be connected to cooperate in the well-knownmanner with the general motor circuit and controlling means so that themotor will be automatically stopped when the plunger reaches the setlimits of travel in the gun barrel;

It is to be understood, of course, that the circuit shown isconventional and diagrammatic to illustrate only the general operationof the motor and control, and that in practice more elaborate circuitarrangement and controlling apparatus will be used.

It is evident that instead of using a single cylinder large enough toaccommodate suflicient clay to permit the stopping of a tap ping hole ofa blast furnace in one operation without withdrawing the clay piston inorder to permit the reloading or adding of additional clay to what isalready in the cylinder, two or more cylinders may be used connectedwith a common nozzle and with plungers individually controlled byelectrical driving mechanism either one at a time or together at thesame time.

Other changes and modifications, both in structure and operation, arealso possible without departing from the scope and principles of theinvention, and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited except asspecified in the appended claims.

I claim as follows;

1. In a clay gun, the combination of a barrel, a plunger reciprocablewithin said barrel to eject material therefrom, an electric motor, adriving train between said moand. fplunger, rheostat means local to saidgun or controlling the motor circuit, remote rheostat means forcontrolling said circuit, and a limit switch driven bysaid otor forautomatically. controlling said clrcuit to vcause stopplng of the motorwhen said plunger reaches the end of its 5; coke in said barrel.

3. In a clayv gun, the combination of a bare rel, a lungcr reciprocabletherein for dischargigg material therefrom, an electric motor, a drivingtrain between said motor and plunger, manually operable means forcontrolling the circuit of said motor, and-a limit switch driven by saidmotor for automatically controlling said circuit to stop the operationof said motor when said lunger reaches the ends of-its strokes in saibarrel.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a barrelstructure having a discharge nozzle and an inlet for material, a plungerreciprocable within said barrel for discharging material. therefromthrough said nozzle, an electric motor, a driving train between saidmotor and plunger, a circuit for said motor, and switch mechanismoperated by said motor in timed relation thereing material through saidoutlet, an electric motor, a driving train between said motor andlunger, a circuit for said motor, and switc mechanism automaticallyoperable for controlling said circuit so as to effect operation of saidmotor to enable redetermined distances of travel of said p unger in saidbarrel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Gary, LakeCounty,

Indiana. AUGUST F. GIESE, JR.

with for controlling the length of stroke of said plunger.

5. In a clay gun ofthe class described, a barrel adapted to receive acharge of clay, a plungerreciprocable inthe barrel for ejecting claytherefrom, and means for reciprocating said plunger including a rackextending into said barrel and connected to said plunger, a gear elementmeshing with said rack and driving means for actuating said element toreciprocate said rack.

' -6. In aclay gun of the class described, a barrel adapted to receive acharge of clay, a plunger reciprocable in the barrel for ejecting claytherefrom, and means for reciprocating said plunger including a rackextending into said barrel. and connected to said plunger,'a gearelement meshing with said rack, driving means for actuatin said elementto reci rocate said rack, sa1d driving means including reduction gearingfor causing a slow but powerf Ireciprocating movement to be imparted tosaid rack and plunger, and means for guiding said rack in its aforesaidmovement. I

7. In a clay gun ofthe class described, a

barrel, .a plunger reciprocable within said barrel for discharginmaterial therefrom, an electric motor, a driving train between saidmotor and plunger, a circuit for said motor, and a limit switch drivenby said motor for automatically controlling said circuit to stop theoperation of the motor when the plunger reaches predetermined positionswithin said barrel.

reciprocable within said barrel for discharglac

